Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPECIFICATION
TITLE
TOOL REST WITH ANGLE INDICATOR FOR USE WITH BENCH GRINDER
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims benefit to the filing date of US Non-
Provisional
Application No. 13/936,295, filed on July 8, 2013, incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a bench grinder, and more
particularly to a tool rest for use with a bench grinder.
Description of the Related Art
. Bench grinders generally have one or more abrasive wheels
rotating on an axle
and driven by a motor. Work articles are moved into contact with the rotating
abrasive wheel
to abrade material from the work article, such as to shape the work article to
a desired shape.
Abrasive wheels or grinding wheels may be used to sharpen tools, such as
knives, chisels,
gouges, plane blades, drill bits, scissors, hedge shears, clippers, snips,
axes, or other tools.
Work articles may be supported in the user's hands while pressed against the
abrading wheel
or may be supported on a work article support. When the work article is to be
shaped with a
particular shape or angle or when control of the work article is desired
during grinding, a
work article support is provided.
Work article supports are provided in a variety of types and shapes. A
common work article support is a tool support, which provides a flat surface
adjacent the face
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of the grinding wheel on which the work article is supported during grinding.
The tool
supports may be fixed or adjustable.
A tool such as a chisel or gouge such as used to cut material during turning
of
material on a lathe has a desired angle for sharpening. A tool rest on which
to position the
tool during sharpening preferably may be set to the desired angle during
sharpening of the
tool using a bench grinder or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an angle-adjustable tool rest for use on a
bench
grinder or other abrading or gridding device. The angle-adjustable tool rest
is adjustable at
various angles relative to the grinding surface of the grinder or other
grinding device. An
angle indicator is provided for the tool rest so that the user may determine
the angle at which
the tool rest surface is disposed. The angle indicator of a preferred
embodiment includes a
window opening in the tool rest surface through which is visible an angle
indicator gauge. As
the tool rest is adjusted to different angles, the angle indicator gauge shows
the angle of the
tool rest to the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a bench grinder showing tool rests
mounted at each of two grinding wheels;
Figure 2 is front left perspective view of a tool rest for use on a bench
grinder
such as the bench grinder of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a front top perspective view of the tool rest of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a left side perspective view of the tool rest of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the tool rest of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a side view of the tool rest of Figure 2; and
Figure 7 is a bottom view of the platform portion of the tool rest of Figure
2.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to Figure 1, a bench grinder 10 is shown. The bench grinder 10
includes a base 12 on which is mounted a motor housing 14 and which itself is
mounted on a
workbench or other surface. The motor housing 14 encloses a motor that has a
motor shaft or
arbor (not visible in this view) that extends from both ends of the motor
housing 14.
Grinding wheels 16 are mounted on each end of the motor shaft, thereby
providing the bench
grinder 10 with left and right grinding wheels. Each grinding wheel 16 is
enclosed within a
protective enclosure that is affixed to the motor housing 14. The grinding
wheel enclosures
each include a wheel guard 18 extending from the motor housing 14 to enclose
an inside side
and an outer perimeter of the grinding wheel 16, except for a working opening
to access the
wheel. A wheel cover 20 is affixed to the wheel guard 18 to enclose the
outside side of each
grinding wheel 16, also with a working opening. A transparent eye guard 22 is
held in a
support in position to shield the user's eyes while the user is using the
bench grinder 10.
A tool rest 24 is provided for each grinding wheel 16. The tool rests 24 are
affixed to the respective wheel guards 18 by being bolted to the inside
surface of the
respective wheel guard 18 by mounting bolts 26. The tool rests 24 each include
an L-shaped
bracket 28 to which is affixed a platform 30. Right and left tool rests 24 are
connected to the
respective right and left wheel guard 18.
The tool rests 24 are adjustable to move inward or outward relative to the
axis
of each grinding wheel 16 by loosening the bolts 26 to permit the L-shaped
bracket 28 to slide
to the desired position. This enables the tool rest 24 to be moved to maintain
a desired
spacing between the tool rest platform 30 and the grinding wheel 16 as the
grinding wheel
wears and when a new grinding wheel is mounted on the grinder 10. The tool
rest 24 of the
illustrated embodiment has an adjustable tool rest platform 30 that may be
repositioned at
different angles by loosening and then tightening a bolt 32 that connects the
L-shaped bracket
28 and the platform 30. The bolt 32 requires use of a wrench for adjusting the
position of the
platform. Alternative tool rests are possible that are mounted on the bench or
affixed to
another part of the grinder.
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The illustrated bench grinder 10 includes a power switch 34. The bench
grinder 10 as shown in Figure 1 is of a type that is currently available on
the market. The
grinder 10 may also include a speed control, spark guard, coolant reservoir,
light, and/or other
features. The illustrated bench grinder 10 has two grinding wheels 16. A
single grinding
wheel is possible, as are multiple grinding wheels. The motor 14 is in-line
with the arbor of
the bench grinder 10. It is possible that the motor may be provided separate
from the grinding
wheel axle, and connected thereto by a belt and pulley arrangement, for
example. The bench
grinder 10 may be combined with other tools on the same axle or arbor, such as
a saw, sander,
buffer or polisher, or other rotary tool.
It is foreseen that the tool rest of the present invention may be used on a
belt
grinder, a disk grinder, or other type of grinding tool. Any type of tool may
be provided with
the tool rest of the present invention.
An improved tool rest 50 that includes an angle indicator is shown in Figure
2. The tool rest 50 has an L-shaped bracket 52 for mounting on a wheel guard
or other
structure of a bench grinder, such as the bench grinder of Figure 1. The L-
shaped bracket 52
is configured for mounting on a right-side wheel guard of a right-side
grinding wheel. A
mirror image bracket may be provided for mounting on a left-side wheel guard
of a left-side
grinding wheel. The L-shaped bracket 52 includes a recess channel 54 in a
first leg 56 of the
bracket 52. A mounting bolt 58 is shown in the recess channel 54.
A second leg 60 of the L-shaped bracket 52 is affixed to a tool rest platform
62. The tool rest platform is held in position on the L-shaped bracket 52 by a
hand bolt 64
that connects the platform 62 to the bracket 52. By loosening the hand bolt
64, the platform
62 may be pivoted relative to the bracket 52 and, once in the desired angular
position, held in
that position by tightening the hand bolt 64. The user may adjust the angle of
the platform to
the desired angle without use of a tool or other wrench.
An opening 66 is provided in the tool rest platform 62. The opening is
disposed over the end of the leg 60 of the L-shaped bracket 52 to that the end
68 of the leg 60
is visible through the opening 66. The end 68 of the leg 60 is marked with
angle indicator
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marks 70 that are visible through the opening 66 as the platform is pivoted.
The user can
thereby see the angle of the platform through the opening 66 in the top of the
platform 62.
The platform includes lines 72 marked or inscribed on its top surface. The
lines of the
illustrated embodiment are parallel to one another and parallel to the leg 56
of the bracket 52.
The user may use the lines 72 to align a tool being sharpened or shaped to the
grinding
wheel. Other lines on the platform or other shapes of the platform surface may
be provided as
well. In one example, a groove is provided in the surface of the platform for
holding drill bits
during sharpening, for example.
With reference to Figure 2, the tool rest platform 62 has the opening or
window 66 to the left side above the end 68 of the leg 60 of the bracket 52.
The opening of
the illustrated embodiment is square, although other shapes are possible. An
indicator line 74
is marked on the surface of the platform 62 extending to the opening 66. The
indicator line
74 moves relative to the marks 70 on the end 68 that is visible through the
opening 66 as the
platform is pivoted to different angles. The indicator line 74 and the angle
marks 70 are
positioned relative to one another so as to indicate the angle that the
platform assumes
relative to the grinding wheel surface. Other angle relationships may be
provided instead.
The marks 70 indicate angles so that the angle of the platform 62 can be
determined by
examining the position of the indicator line 74 relative to the angle marks
70. The preferred
embodiment has the angle marks 70 and the indicator line 74 marked in high
contrast with the
background surface to provide good visibility of the marks. For example, the
end 68 of the
leg 60 and the top surface of the platform may be polished metal and the angle
marks 70 and
indicator mark 74 may be etched into the surface and marked with paint or the
like.
The end 68 of the leg 60 that is provided with the marks 70 is formed into a
cylindrical wall portion. The cylindrical wall portion extends to just below
the surface of the
platform 62 to provide good visibility of the marks 70 and to reduce parallax
between the
marks 70 and the indicator mark 74. The underside of the platform 62 is shaped
to
accommodate the cylindrical wall portion of the end 68.
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The hand bolt 64 can be seen extending from the left side of the tool rest 10.
For a tool rest provided for a left-side grinding wheel, the hand bolt would
extend from the
right side and the platform would extend to the left from the L-shaped
bracket. The left-side
and right-side tool rests may be specifically formed for mounting only on one
side of the
bench grinder, or may be reversible to fit on either side. For a reversible
tool rest, the angle
marks 70 may be provided on both sides of the end 68 rather than only to the
left side of the
end as shown. The angle marks 70 are provided as shorter and longer marks to
indicate
angular intervals, as is well known.
Figure 4 shows the tool rest 10 generally from the side. The hand bolt 64 is
of
a generally triangular shape with three projections to aid in user
manipulation of the bolt
during angular adjustment of the platform 62. The head of the hand bolt 64 is
ergonomically
shaped in a preferred embodiment. The hand bolt 64 extends through an opening
in a
triangular downward projection 78 that extends below the top surface of the
platform 62 and
is disposed alongside the end 68 of the leg 60. The hand bolt 64 is threaded
into a threaded
bore in the leg 60 so that when the bolt 64 is tightened, it presses the
triangular projection 78
of the platform 62 against the side of the leg 60 in side-by-side relation to
hold the platform in
the desired angular position. The surfaces between the triangular projection
78 and the leg 60
may be smooth, roughened, provided with radial grooves, or otherwise shaped.
Smooth or
roughened surfaces may provide continuous possible angular adjustments,
whereas a grooved
or other shaped interface between the parts may provide for non-continuous
adjustment to
only predetermined angles. For example, the grooves may pennit.adjustment in
five degree
increments.
The bolt 58 in the recess 54 is seen in this view. The head of the bolt 58 is
within the recess so as to not to project out of the bracket 52. The bolt 58
may be an Allen
head bolt or other similar bolt that does not require access to the outer
surfaces to thread the
bolt into secure engagement. The recess 54 includes a through extending slot
through which
the bolt extends into threaded engagement with the grinding wheel cover, for
example.
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Turning to Figure 5, the tool rest 50 is shown in exploded view. The platform
62 has the triangular projection 78 through which extends the bore 80. The
hand bolt 64
passes through the bore 80 and into a threaded bore 82 in the leg 60 of the L-
shaped bracket
52. The hand bolt 64 includes an elongated threaded shaft 84 that passes
through the bore 80
to secure the bracket 52 to the platform 62.
The channel 54 in the bracket 52 extends along the leg 56 to permit the screws
58 to be positioned along the channel 54 for adjustment of the bracket
position relative to the
grinding wheel cover and grinding wheel. Two screws 58 are provided, which
pass through
the slot that extends along the channel 54.
The bracket 52 has the cylindrical end 68 on which are marked the angle
markings 70. The threaded bore 82 is provided along the axis of the
cylindrical surface of the
cylindrical end 68. Rotation of the platform about the shaft of the hand bolt
64 maintains the
position of the angle markings within the opening 66. The underside of the
platform 62 is
provided with a recess at the opening 66 to accommodate the cylindrical end 68
fitting into
position with the angle markings 70 disposed at or just below the surface of
the platform 62.
In Figure 6, the bracket 52 has a slot 86 that extends along the arm 56 and
within which the bolts 58 are positioned. The slot 86 has the recess 54
extending about the
perimeter of the slot 86. The heads of the bolts 58 are disposed within the
recess 54. In a
preferred embodiment, the bolts do not project from the bracket 52. The bolts
58 are shown
at the opposite ends of the slot 86. When mounted on a bench grinder, for
example, the bolts
58 are more likely to be positioned along the slot 86 so that the bracket 52
may be adjusted to
different positions relative to the axis of the grinding wheel.
The platform 62 as shown has been adjusted to an angle relative to the bracket
52, as can be seen by comparing the leg 56 to the platform 62. The bracket 52
is preferably
affixed to the bench grinder or other tool in a horizontal position and the
platform is
preferably disposed at a vertical position so that when the platform is
positioned at a
horizontal position, the face of the grinding wheel at the tool rest is
perpendicular to the tool
rest platform. Adjustment of the angle of the platform 62 to a particular
angle, results in the
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particular angle being added to or subtracted from perpendicular. A tool
positioned on the
tool rest will be shaped at the angle set by the tool platform.
Figure 7 shows the tool rest platform 62 from the underside with the bracket
and bolts removed. The opening 66 through which the angle marks on the bracket
are visible
is shaped to accommodate the cylindrical surface on which the angle marks are
provided. In
particular, curved recess walls 88 extend on either side of the opening 66.
The platform 62
includes a beveled front edge 90 at the edge facing the grinding wheel. The
beveled edge 90
permits the tool rest to be adjusted to a position close to the grinding wheel
at certain angles
of the platform without risk that the platform will contact the grinding
wheel.
In the illustrated embodiment, the platform is affixed to one side of the
bracket
(the left side in the illustrations) and extends over the end of the bracket
to the other side (the
right side in the illustrations). In an alternative embodiment, the platform
is affixed to a side
of the bracket to that the platform extends away from the bracket from that
side. For
example, and with reference to Figure 5, the triangular projection 78 may be
positioned
against the right side of the bracket 52 and affixed there by the hand bolt
64. The platform 62
extends to the right of the bracket 52 rather than passing over the end as in
the first-described
embodiment. The cylindrical end 68 disposed at the end of the platform. In
this position, the
indicator mark 74 which extends to the end of the platform aligns with the
angle marks 70 on
the cylindrical end 68 to indicate the angle of the platform 62. In this
embodiment, the hole
through the platform is not needed for viewing the angle marks, and may be
eliminated. The
bore 80 through the triangular extension 78 of the platform 62 is threaded so
that the hand
bolt 64 may engage the threading.
In a further embodiment, the tool rest platform includes platform surfaces
that
extend from both sides of the bracket, for example, to both the right and
left. The hand bolt
may be disposed below one side of the platform surface in this embodiment. The
hand bolt
64 may be replaced by a lever, toggle fastener, cam fastener, or other
fastener in any of the
embodiments described herein.
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It is also contemplated that the angle indicator of the present tool rest may
be
applied to a tool rest that is supported by attachment to the workbench, to a
housing of the
grinder, to a coolant catch tray, or other support. The L-bracket may be
replaced by other
support members as required for the alternate tool rest support.
The tool rest 50 includes a visible angle indicator of the position of the
platform. The angle indicator is visible from above the platform, so that it
is in view while
the user is using the bench grinder. In some embodiments, the tool rest 50
includes an
opening through the top through which is visible the angle marks on the
bracket to indicate to
the user the angle of the platform. The tool rest has a cylindrically shaped
end of the bracket
that indicates an angle to a user relative to a position of the platform.
In an alternate embodiment, the angle markings are provided on the platform
member and the indicator or indicator mark is provided on the bracket. For
example, a
portion of the platform may be shaped with a cylindrical surface portion
marked with angle
markings that are disposed adjacent an indicator on the bracket.
Thus, there is shown and described a simple and reliable indicator for the
angle of the tool rest and a simple and reliable means for adjusting the angle
of the tool rest.
The user may sharpen a chisel, gouge, scissors, shears, or other tools at a
predetermined angle
without guessing at the angle or without requiring complex angle measuring
devices.
Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled
in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent
warranted hereon all
changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of
their
contribution to the art.
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